Max C. Thompson

Born in 1936, he studied at Southwestern College and the University of Kansas, and also did graduate work at Ohio State University. He went on to work as a research curator for the Pacific Ocean Biological Survey Program and later served as professor and research associate in biology at Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas.

His writing is closely tied to ornithology, especially the birds of Kansas. He is known for books including Birds in Kansas and Birds of Kansas, works that helped bring regional bird study to a wider audience of students, naturalists, and birdwatchers.

Alongside teaching and writing, he was also involved in scientific fieldwork and collections work, with Smithsonian records preserving notes from his bird research in the Pacific during the 1960s. That mix of classroom teaching, field observation, and careful documentation gives his books a grounded, dependable feel.